Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Sizzleness Salmon’

ABSTRACT

A  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Sizzleness Salmon’ characterized by its medium size decorative infloresences with elongated quilled dark salmon ray-florets, with a response time of 52 days.

RELATED CULTIVARS

‘Sizzleness Salmon’ is related to ‘Sizzleness’ (U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 10/782,856), of which plant it is a color sport.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Sizzleness Salmon’ is a product of a breeding and selection programwhich had the objective of finding color mutants of ‘Sizzleness’. Thenew plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivarof chrysanthemum plant that is a natural occurring sport of a parentchrysanthemum named ‘Sizzleness’. A comparison with Parent chrysanthemum‘Sizzleness’ is also made in this application. The new cultivar wasdiscovered as a sport in 2002 by Mark Roland Boeder in a controlledenvironment (greenhouse) in Rijsenhout, Holland. The first act ofasexual reproduction of ‘Sizzleness Salmon’ was accomplished whenvegetative cuttings were from the initial selection in 2002 inRijsenhout, Holland.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemumbearing medium sized decorative blooms with elongated quilled darksalmon ray-florets and a green center.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum isshown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true aspossible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classificationChrysanthemum morifolium L. The observations and measurements weregathered from plants grown in April/May in a greenhouse in RijsenhoutHolland in a photo-periodic controlled crop under conditions generallyused in commercial practice. The greenhouse temperatures during thiscrop were at day-time between 18° C. and 25° C. and at night 20° C.After a long day period of 14 days the photo-periodic response time inthis crop was 52 days. After the long day period to flowering growthretardants were applied 2 to 3 times in an average dose of 2.5gram/liter water. No tests were done on disease or insect resistance orsusceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought resistance. Thisnew variety produces medium sized blooms with dark salmon ray-floretsand blooming on the plant for 5 weeks. This new variety of chrysanthemumhas been found to retain its distinctive characteristics throughoutsuccessive propagations however the phenotype may vary significantlywith variations in environment such as light intensity and temperature.To show the phenotype as described ‘Sizzleness Salmon’ can be plantedwithout assimilation lightning (high pressure sodium lamps) between week1 and week 35 year under greenhouse conditions in Holland. Withassimilation light (minimum level 2500 lux) it can be planted year roundunder greenhouse conditions in Holland.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivarsin comparison to ‘Sizzleness Salmon’ is the parent ‘Sizzleness’ and thesports ‘Sizzleness Pink’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,504) and ‘SizzlenessPurple’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/979,246). When‘Sizzleness Salmon’, ‘Sizzleness Pink’, ‘Sizzleness Purple’ and theparent ‘Sizzleness’ are being compared the following differences andsimilarities are noticed: The difference of ‘Sizzleness’ and its sports‘Sizzleness Salmon’, ‘Sizzleness Pink’ and ‘Sizzleness Purple’ is (1)Color ray florets. The color is for ‘Sizzleness’ purple and cream, whileit is dark salmon for ‘Sizzleness Salmon’, dark pink for ‘SizzlenessPink’ and purple for ‘Sizzleness Purple’. For which characteristic‘Sizzleness Salmon’ has been selected from the original ‘Sizzleness’.All other characteristics of ‘Sizzleness’ and ‘Sizzleness Salmon’ aresimilar.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics thatdistinguish ‘Sizzleness Salmon’ as a new and distinct variety. The colordesignations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, anydiscrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted inthe photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart usedin this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,edition 1995.

TABLE 1 Botanical Description of cultivar ‘Sizzleness Salmon’ Bud SizeMedium, cross-section 0.6 cm, height 0.6 cm Outside color Yellow-green145C Involucral bracts 2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm Involucral bractsamong disc-florets Not present Involucral bracts color Green 138BInflorescence Type Decorative Height 3 cm Size Medium Fully Expanded 5cm Peduncle length Near the top 7 cm, near the middle 10 cm, near thebottom 15 cm. Peduncle color Green 138B Number of inflorescences perstem Average of 20 Performance on the plant 5 weeks Seeds (if crossed)Produced in small quantities, oval shaped, grey-brown 199A, 2 mm inlength. Fragrance Typical chrysanthemum Color Center of the flowerImmature Yellow-green 145B Mature Yellow-green 154C Color of theray-florets Upper surface Greyed-red 182B Lower surface Greyed-red 182DTonality from Distance A spray mum with dark salmon flowers and a greendisc Color of the upper surface of the Greyed-red 182B ray florets afteraging of the plant Ray florets Texture Upper and under side smoothNumber 100 Shape Elongated quilled Longitudinal axis of majorityStraight Length of corolla tube Long; 2 cm Ray-floret margin EntireRay-floret length 2.5 cm Ray-floret width 0.2 cm Ratio length/width HighShape of tip Rounded Disc florets Disc diameter 0.6 cm Distribution ofdisc florets Few, only visible in mature stage of flowering. ShapeTubular Color Yellow-green 154C Receptacle shape Domed raisedReproductive Organs Stamen (present in disc florets only) Thin Stamencolor Yellow-green 144 B Pollen Produced in small quantity Pollen colorYellow-orange 14 A Styles (present in both ray and disc Thick florets)Style color Yellow-green 150C Style Length 4 mm Stigma colorYellow-green 145 D Stigma Width 1 mm Ovaries Enclosed in perianth PlantForm A spray mum meant for erect culture Growth habit Upright Growthrate Medium vigor Height 90 cm Width 28 cm Internode length 2-3.5 cmSpray formation Cylindrical Stem Color Yellow-green 148A with at basestreaks of Greyed-red 182C Stem Strength Strong Stem Brittleness Notbrittle Stem Anthocyanin Coloration Present FloweringResponse(photo-periodic 52 Days controlled crop, not natural season)Foliage Color immature stage Upper side Green 141B Under side Green 139CColor mature stage Upper side Green 137A Under side Green 138A Colormidvein Upper side Yellow-green 145C Under side Yellow-green 148C SizeMedium; length 11 cm, width 5 cm Quantity (number per single stem) 26-30Shape Elliptic Texture upper side Fleshy and glabrous Texture under sidePubescent Venation arrangement Palmate Shape of the margin Dentate Shapeof Base of Sinus Between Diverging Lateral Lobes Margin of Sinus BetweenLateral Rounded Lobes Shape of Base Obtuse to truncate Apex MucronulatePetiole length 2 cm Petiole color Yellow-green 145C

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison Varieties ‘Sizzleness‘Sizzleness ‘Sizzleness Salmon’ Pink’ Purple’ ‘Sizzleness’ ColorGreyed-red Red-purple Red-purple Purple-violet 80C upper side 182B 70B70A and Yellow 4D ray-florets Color Greyed-red Red-purple Red-purplePurple-violet 80D lower side 182D 70D 70C and Yellow 4D ray-florets

1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant as described andillustrated.